“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page”. This quote by Saint Augustine, in my personal opinion, is an excellent reflection on the world of tourism. Our planet is filled with the most touristic sites, and to visit and experience these sites greatly widens our view of the world from the limited confines of our own cities and countries.

Given these touristic sites, however, it is not a surprise that there are debates on the best places to travel for tourism. With many travel sites such as Lonely Planet listing their opinions on the best places for tourism, it is bound for people to be confused. How can we find the best places to travel? One method is to see which countries welcomed the most tourists; if many people are travelling to a certain country, there must be something there!

The visualizations presented below provide an overview of where international tourists have travelled to globally, followed by a focus on the Middle East.